Dogs need high-quality ingredients in their food for the betterment of their health. You just adopted a Whippet and you want to ensure your four-legged friend has a great diet from day one. Is it okay if there’s chicken in your Whippet’s food? Can you give them fruits and vegetables too?
As a general rule, Whippets can usually eat chicken, but this can vary on a case-by-case basis, as some dogs have allergies. On average, no canines need to regularly consume fruits and vegetables, including Whippets. The following veggies and fruits are off-limits on a dog’s diet:
- Onions
- Mushrooms
- Grapes
- Cherries
- Avocados
In this detailed guide, we’ll discuss first when Whippets can and cannot eat chicken. We’ll then produce a full list of which fruits and veggies are and are not allowed for canines. You won’t want to miss it!
Can My Whippet Eat Chicken?
Dogs are carnivorous creatures, Whippets among them. Whether you buy dog food at the grocery store or you order your Whippet’s food custom-made, we’d bet chicken is a top ingredient in the food. Chicken is full of nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids that dogs need at any stage of their lives.
For instance, poultry contains glucosamine, a cartilage compound that can cradle a dog’s joints and keep their bones strong and healthy. Omega-6 fatty acids are a great source of amino acids for a shiny, full coat. Your Whippet’s skin will also be healthy thanks to the omega-6s in chicken. Poultry has protein without packing on the calories, and dogs might even increase their lean muscle mass if their diet is rich in chicken.
With all those great benefits, chicken sounds like a great staple food to feed your Whippet anytime, right? For most dogs, yes, but the way you feed your dog their daily dose of chicken matters.
When shopping for poultry for your Whippet, choose lean chicken breasts. Before cooking, take off the skin and cut away any extra fat. Skip any dark meat too, as it’s quite fatty. Too much fat in a dog’s diet can increase their pancreatitis risk.
With pancreatitis, enzymes within their body inflame the pancreas and even nearby organs and tissue. In severe cases, the enzymes can attack and eat at the pancreas. Yet as serious as pancreatitis can be, the symptoms can be slow to manifest. When/if the symptoms do start, they can include:
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Dehydration
- No appetite
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- A hunched back
- Repeated vomiting
Pancreatitis can even be deadly, so your Whippet should see a veterinarian immediately if you suspect they have this condition.
Whippets and Raw Chicken
When feeding your Whippet a chicken-based meal, you must ensure the poultry is fully cooked. If it’s pink inside, then it’s still raw and needs more time in the oven or on the stovetop. If your Whippet eats raw chicken, they could get a bacterial infection or salmonella. Pets don’t tend to be infected with salmonella all too often, but your vet should still know how to handle a case of bacterial illness.
The bacterial infection, also known as salmonellosis, can go from your Whippet to any other dogs in the house as well as your cats. Your dog can even spread salmonellosis to you and other human members of the family, so you don’t want to wait to schedule an emergency vet appointment if your dog has a salmonella infection.
Your Whippet may display symptoms such as:
- Shock
- Lymph node swelling
- Skin infection
- Depression
- Lethargy
- Fast heart rate
- Dehydration
- No appetite
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Diarrhea
Treating salmonellosis depends on the extent of the infection. In most cases, your dog can recover at home. You should encourage your Whippet to drink lots of water to restore the lost fluids from their frequent vomiting and/or diarrhea. If your dog still isn’t better after several days or a week, then bring them back to the vet. They may need hospitalization and intravenous fluids to overcome the infection.
Whippets and Bone-in Chicken
Although it’s boring to you, you cannot serve your Whippet anything but plain chicken. No toppings, sauces, seasonings, or anything. Your pup cannot process those ingredients. Make sure the chicken is boneless as well, as dogs can choke on large chicken bones. They can also swallow smaller bones, which can scratch their throat, stomach, and other internal parts until the bones are eventually passed through the body with stool.
Whippets and Chicken Allergies
Despite that poultry is such an integral part of a dog’s diet, Whippets included, that doesn’t mean your canine can’t become allergic. Whippets are especially likely to have food sensitivities, especially if that food is low-quality. Considering that chicken is one of the top food allergies in dogs, it helps to know what to look out for.
Food allergies in canines are not that different from how they begin in us people. Your immune system changes the way it perceives a substance. If the immune system thinks the substance is a foreign invader, then it launches an antibody response. The antibodies communicate with mast cells about the location of the allergen. The mast cells produce histamine, which cause the allergy symptoms.
Your Whippet may experience these food allergy symptoms:
- Wheezing
- Vomiting
- Skin rashes and/or infections
- Head shaking
- Licking at one spot
- Hives
- Diarrhea
- Coughing
- Foot inflammation, which can become chronic
- Bald patches
If you suspect your Whippet has a chicken allergy or another food allergy, schedule an appointment with your vet. During cutaneous cytology, your vet will remove some of the Whippet’s skin cells to assess whether it’s allergies that have caused these symptoms or something else.
Then your vet will likely suggest an elimination diet, where you remove foods your Whippet eats one by one until the vet can pinpoint if it’s poultry or another allergen that causes symptoms. After narrowing down the allergens, you can start readding the ingredients one by one.
If your Whippet is diagnosed with a poultry allergy, omitting chicken from their diet permanently is the best treatment. Keep in mind that outside of commercial dog food, poultry proteins can also appear in some dog treats, rawhides, flavored doggy toothpaste, flavored plastic toys, and flavored supplements or medications.
Your Whippet can replace the proteins they lose by quitting chicken in plenty of other ways. Venison, spinach, soybeans, rabbit, quinoa, lentils, lamb, fish, elk, eggs, buffalo, and broccoli are also great protein sources. Do make sure your dog isn’t allergic to these other foods as well!
Can My Whippet Eat Fruit?
A tasty, nourishing bit of fruit makes for a great snack. If you’re out of dog treats, is it okay to toss your pup some fruit? Sure, as an occasional treat, but not too often. Canines of all breeds–Whippets included–don’t digest fruits as easily as we people do. They also don’t need to eat fruit considering dogs are carnivores, as we mentioned.
The following fruits are allowed for your Whippet every now and again.
Watermelon
A summertime treat, if you want to give your Whippet a few cubes of watermelon at a cookout, that’s safe. Watermelon has a good amount of potassium and vitamins per serving, including vitamins A, B6, and some C. However, white and black seeds alike aren’t a great idea for your Whippet to consume, so de-seed the watermelon before feeding it to your dog. Remove the rind as well to avoid upsetting their tummy.
Tangerines
Tiny and tasty fruits, tangerines might belong to the acidic fruit family, but they’re not so acidic that you have to worry about your Whippet suffering a sore stomach after consumption. If the tangerine has any seeds inside, remove those before feeding. Peel away as much of the rind as you can per each slice too.
Strawberries
Although chocolate-covered strawberries are always a no-no for dogs, plain strawberries are permissible. Between their vitamin C content, fiber, and antioxidants, you don’t have to feel bad about your Whippet eating a few strawberries. Avoid giving your dog whole strawberries though. Even those berries with the leaves removed are too big; cube the berries and feed your pup the pieces.
Raspberries
Raspberries though are a bite-sized snack for your Whippet. With anti-inflammatory properties, vitamin C, manganese, and fiber, raspberries are tasty and nutritious. That said, the xylitol in them does mean you have to watch your quantities. Xylitol is a substance that’s usually a sugar substitute.
Upon ingestion, your dog’s pancreas will have a response to the xylitol, releasing insulin that can lead to seizures, tremors, and weakness in enough quantities. Stick to no more than a cup of raspberries per day for your Whippet, please!
Pineapple
Like tangerines, the acidity of pineapple isn’t enough to upset your dog’s stomach. If anything, digestion might happen easier due to the enzyme bromelain in pineapple. The fiber, minerals, and vitamins that pineapple contains are also good for dogs. Remove the crown and peel of the pineapple for your Whippet, then feed.
Pears
Although the fiber and vitamins A and C in pears are good for your Whippet, what’s not so good is how overdoing it on the pears has been known to cause gastrointestinal distress in dogs. A few pieces of pear are appropriate, but not the whole fruit. Cutting the pear will also make it easier to remove all the seeds and the pit, the former of which might have cyanide.
Peaches
It’s the same story for peaches. Their cyanide-laden pits have to go before you can offer this juicy fruit to your Whippet. You also want to cut the fruit into pieces. Frozen peaches are a-okay for dogs, but canned peaches are not. The former retains vitamin A and fiber while the latter is all sugar.
Oranges
If your Whippet doesn’t mind the odor of oranges, then you can sate their curiosity with a few pieces. The oils in orange peel can irritate some dogs, and eating it isn’t a good idea since the peel is tough to digest. Get rid of the seeds and orange rinds as well. You can be assured your Whippet is getting good quantities of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C when they eat oranges.
Mango
The exotic mango fruit has alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, potassium, and an assortment of vitamins, including A, B6, C, as well as E. As with the other fruits we’ve discussed, mango pits have cyanide, so your Whippet should never eat them. The sugar content of mango is also a lot higher than other fruits, so save this one for special occasions.
Kiwi
Cubed kiwi is another source of carotenoids for your Whippet as well as flavonoids, potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. The fuzzy skin of a kiwi has a texture that’s probably none too appealing to your dog, so make sure you cut it off before feeding.
Honeydew Melon
Honeydew melon makes for a great banana alternative as it has potassium and vitamins B and C too. On top of that, your Whippet’s red blood cells get a boost thanks to the iron and copper in honeydew. However, like mango, honeydew melon is very sugary, so keep the serving size small.
Cucumber
Surprise! Cucumber is a fruit, not a vegetable. It’s mostly water, but cucumber also has biotin, magnesium, copper, potassium, vitamin B1, vitamin C, and vitamin K. If your Whippet is bordering on being overweight, cucumber makes a much better dog treat since it’s low in calories.
Cranberries
Whether you like your cranberries dried out or fresh and juicy, both forms of this fruit are fine for dogs like the Whippet. That said, cranberries can be an acquired taste for dogs since they’re so tart. If your pup does like them, just a few cranberries at a time will do unless you want your dog to end up with an upset stomach!
Cantaloupe
As you probably could have guessed, the high sugar content of cantaloupe means you should limit your pup’s consumption of this orange fruit. Never give your dog whole chunks, as you’ll want to remove the rind and the seeds of the cantaloupe first. This fruit is a good source of potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, niacin, vitamin B6, and fiber.
Blueberries
Try training your dog with blueberries, as they’re a tantalizing treat that your Whippet may enjoy more than store-bought treats. The range of antioxidants in blueberries is sure to impress, as will the phytochemicals and fiber.
Banana
Most dogs love bananas in all sorts of ways, including frozen, sliced, and mashed. The same is not true of the peel. Although it’s non-toxic, banana peels can block up your dog’s stomach, necessitating a trip to the vet. The fruit itself has lots of vitamin C, vitamin B6, and potassium.
Apples
Full of hydration, fiber, and vitamins A and C, apples are low-cal, low-fat, and low-protein. As you should know by now, the core and seeds have to be cleared before giving your Whippet a few refreshing pieces of apple.
Whippets Cannot Eat These Fruits
Tomatoes
Yes, tomatoes are fruit, and no, your Whippet can’t eat them. The reason? All green portions of tomatoes contain solanine, which is toxic.
Grapes
Although we people can eat grapes just fine, this bite-sized fruit has been known to cause acute sudden kidney failure in some canines. That seems to be regardless of their age and breed.
Cherries
Since cherries are mostly pit rather than fruit, that means they’re mostly cyanide. After a few cherries, your Whippet could have cyanide poisoning, which can be deadly.
Avocados
It’s not only the pit of avocados that is a health risk for dogs, but its leaves and skin as well. All contain a toxin known as persin, which can induce diarrhea and vomiting upon consumption for dogs.
Can My Whippet Eat Vegetables?
Just as vegetables aren’t a requirement in a dog’s diet, you can skip them and your Whippet won’t miss them. That said, veggies are a nice augmentation from time to time. Feed your Whippet these veggies occasionally.
Peas
All kinds of peas are dog-friendly, including English, garden, sugar snap, snow, and green peas. Just avoid the peas that come out of a can, as they’re bogged down with salt. Frozen and fresh peas have a good amount of fiber as well as protein and vitamins like A, B, and K.
Green Beans
In that same vein, plain green beans are also a fantastic veggie for your Whippet to snack on. You can offer them up raw, steam them, or cook them. This is also one of those rare occasions where canned green beans are fine, but do check the salt content as you shop.
Celery
The crunch of celery will appeal to your Whippet, and you’ll love the A, B, and C vitamins in this tasty vegetable. If your dog’s breath smells, try celery over doggy dental treats, as celery is lower in calories and can reduce odors.
Carrots
Forget the rabbits, let your dog have carrots! Slice them longways or into chunks, but don’t give your Whippet a whole carrot or they could choke. You can cook carrots if you’re worried that they’ll be too tough for your dog’s teeth when eaten raw.
Brussel Sprouts
With antioxidants for better blood flow as well as vitamins (K, B1, B6, C, and A), and fiber, Brussel sprouts are a winning vegetable for your Whippet. There can be too much of a good thing though, as too many sprouts can make your dog gassy!
The following vegetables are always ill-advised for dogs.
Onions
Chives, leeks, and onions are dangerous for dogs and cats alike. In cats, these veggies are outright toxic. In dogs, they could experience nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Sometimes their red blood cells even rupture from eating onions.
Mushrooms
One of the deadliest veggies for people and dogs alike, unless you’re a mushroom master who can tell all the species apart, keep your dog away from every mushroom so you’re better safe than sorry.
Finally, a Whippet’s diet should be primarily meat-based. Chicken is acceptable provided it’s cooked, boneless, and it doesn’t trigger allergy symptoms. Limit your dog’s consumption of fruits and veggies as well. Best of luck!
